April 15, 2014
By Neal Tepel
Los Angeles, California – SAG-AFTRA leadership is planning to meet with representatives of the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers May 5th. This session will be the start of comprehensive negotiations with the union and the studios. SAG-AFTRA National Board approved proposals for the upcoming talks and they are usually kept secret.
Its expected that contract talks will include wages, working conditions and health and pension payment increases. The health and pension plans still operate separately but its expected that they will soon be integrated as the merger of the two unions is solidified.
This is the first major contract to be negotiated by the union since SAG and AFTRA merged two years ago. The start date for negotiations comes less than two weeks after the WGA finally reached a deal on a new three-year contract with AMPTP.
SAG-AFTRA contract talks will be led by union president Ken Howard and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White. The union will meet with the studios representatives at their Sherman Oaks Office.
